Cryosurgery

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Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery (cryotherapy) is the application of extreme cold to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue. The term comes from the Greek words cryo ("icy cold") and surgery (cheirourgiki - ?e?????????) meaning "hand work" or "handiwork". Cryosurgery is used to treat a number of diseases and disorders, especially a variety of benign and malignant skin conditions

List of skin diseases

Dermatosis , a noun, is defined as "any disease of the skin," and, while thousands of skin disorders have been described, only a small number account for most visits to the doctor....
.

Wart

Wart

A wart is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister....
s, moles

Mole (skin marking)

A melanocytic nevus is a type of lesion that contains nevus cells.Some sources equate the term "mole" with "melanocytic nevus". Other sources reserve the term "mole" for other purposes....
, skin tags, solar keratoses, and small skin cancer

Skin cancer

Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. The most common skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma....
s are candidates for cryosurgical treatment.

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List of skin diseases

Dermatosis , a noun, is defined as "any disease of the skin," and, while thousands of skin disorders have been described, only a small number account for most visits to the doctor....
.

Wart

Wart

A wart is generally a small, rough tumor, typically on hands and feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister....
s, moles

Mole (skin marking)

Skin cancer

Internal medicine

Internal Medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, management and nonsurgical treatment of unusual or serious diseases. In North America, specialists in internal medicine are commonly called, "Internists." Elsewhere, especially in Commonwealth of Nations nations, such specialists are often called Physicians....
are also treated with cryosurgery, including liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary cancer of the liver. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitis infection or cirrhosis ....
, prostate cancer

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. It occurs when cell s of the prostate Mutation and begin to multiply out of control....
, cervical

Cervix

The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall....
disorders and, more commonly in the past, hemorrhoids. Although found to be effective, this method of treatment is only appropriate for use against localized disease with no metastasis

Metastasis

Metastasis , or Metastatic disease, sometimes abbreviated mets, is the spread of a disease from one Organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part....
.

Cryosurgery works by taking advantage of the destructive force of freezing temperatures on cells

Cell (biology)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known Life organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building bricks of life....
. At low temperatures, ice crystals form inside the cells, which can tear them apart. More damage occurs when blood vessel

Blood vessel

The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the artery, which carry the blood away from the heart, the capillary, which enable the actual exchange of water and chemicals between the blood and the tissues; and the veins, which carry blood from...
s supplying the diseased tissue freeze.

The most common method of freezing lesions is using liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen is a liquefied atmospheric gas produced industrially in large quantities by fractional distillation of liquid air. It is pure nitrogen in a liquid state at very low temperature....
as the cooling solution. The super-cooled liquid may be sprayed on the diseased tissue, circulated through a tube called a cryoprobe, or simply dabbed on with a cotton or foam swab. Less frequently, doctors use carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalent bond to a single carbon atom. It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure and exists in Earth's atmosphere in this state....
"snow" formed into a cylinder or mixed with acetone

Acetone

Acetone is the organic compound with the chemical formula OC2. This colorless, mobile, flammable liquid is the simplest example of the ketones....
to form a slush that is applied directly to the treated tissue. Recent advances in technology have allowed for the use of argon

Argon

Argon is a chemical element designated by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 18 and is the third element in group 18 of the periodic table ....
gas to drive ice formation using a principle known as the Joule-Thomson effect

Joule-Thomson effect

In thermodynamics, the Joule?Thomson effect or Joule?Kelvin effect or Kelvin?Joule effect describes the temperature change of a gas or liquid when it is forced through a valve or porous plug while kept insulated so that no heat is exchanged with the environment....
. This gives physicians excellent control of the ice, and minimizing complications using ultra-thin 17 gauge

Stubs Iron Wire Gauge

The Stubs Iron Wire Gauge system is used in medicine to measure the diameter of hypodermic needles, catheters, and surgical suture wires. It was originally developed in early 19th-century England for use in wire manufacture, and it began appearing in a medical setting in the early 20th century....
cryoneedles.

Cryosurgery is a minimally invasive procedure, and is often preferred to more traditional kinds of surgery because of its minimal pain, scarring, and cost; however, as with any medical treatment, there are risks involved, primarily that of damage to nearby healthy tissue. Damage to nerve tissue

Nerve

A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of Peripheral nervous system axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons....
is of particular concern.

Patients undergoing cryosurgery usually experience minor-to-moderate localized pain and redness, which can be alleviated by oral administration of an analgesic

Analgesic

An analgesic is any member of the diverse group of Medication used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
such as aspirin

Aspirin

Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate medication, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication....
, ibuprofen

Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug originally marketed as Brufen, and since then under various other trademarks , most notably Nurofen, Advil and Motrin....
or acetaminophen (paracetamol). Blister

Blister

A blister is a small pocket of fluid within the upper layers of the skin, typically caused by forceful rubbing , burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection....
s may form, but these usually scab over and peel away within several days.

Cryosurgery

See also